Ww2 Weekend

[SAC B52]

Just got back from the annual WW2 weekend in Reading Pa. We made a great day of it, Dad, my brother and also my brother inlaw and My Godson. We always make a routine of it. We leave bright and early, stop and get coffee and then hit Mastorie's Diner on RT.130 south. I though it would be fitting wth the Anniversary of D-Day tomorrow. I had a chance to meet alot of hero's,(REAL AMERICAN IDOLS) including surviving memebers of the original "Band Of Brothers" 101st AirBorne 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Also a few Fighter aces and Bomber crews. Plus we had a chance to see alot of flying with FiFi the only flyable B-29 in the world.. Mustangs were making low level high speed passes also.

Edited June 5, 2011 by SAC B52

[Mike]

Looks like a good time was had. I see the Navy version of the PT-17 Stearman. I flew the Army version with blue fuselage at Creve Coure Airport in Saint Louis, Mo. back in 2000. They called it the washing machine because being the first trainer for WW2 student pilots, alot of these students washed out before they could move on to the more complex trainer like the AT6 Texan. Looks like a Supermarine Spitfire in one of your photo's with five blades. If you have the time and funds, try to attend the Kermit Weeks Museum in Polk City, FL. called Fantasy of Flight Museum. It is well worth the trip. I flew down to Orlando and rented an auto for a week trip. A WW2 weekend of some B24's were intertaining us. I like hearing those radials startup with there loppy idle.

mike

[SAC B52]

Looks like a good time was had. I see the Navy version of the PT-17 Stearman. I flew the Army version with blue fuselage at Creve Coure Airport in Saint Louis, Mo. back in 2000. They called it the washing machine because being the first trainer for WW2 student pilots, alot of these students washed out before they could move on to the more complex trainer like the AT6 Texan. Looks like a Supermarine Spitfire in one of your photo's with five blades. If you have the time and funds, try to attend the Kermit Weeks Museum in Polk City, FL. called Fantasy of Flight Museum. It is well worth the trip. I flew down to Orlando and rented an auto for a week trip. A WW2 weekend of some B24's were intertaining us. I like hearing those radials startup with there loppy idle.

mike

Yeah Mike, We had a blast!! My favorite part was when a young 10 yr old kid was talking to an older gentlemen I guess in his later 70's under the wing of a B-25 Mitchell. This kid asked the Guy " did you fly these when you were younger". The older Gentlemen who was a volunteer guest helper, told the kid " No way! I don't fly prop-jobs I'm a former F-100 Super Sabre pilot out of Nellis AFB.." I though that was cool because he showed us a large 11x17 photo of him in 1960, climbing out of this F-100 Jet with his pressure suit on..And now he's near 80 yrs old, and still sharp!

[Firemack]

Sac B52

Here are a few more shots I got

Firemack

[RowdyRebel]

My grandpa was in WW2...North Africa and Europe...but all we could ever get him to talk about was his time in the anti-aircraft division....and how he and his fellow soldiers would get so ticked off when they'd see enemy planes overhead and could blow them out of the sky, but by the time information went up the chain of command and got back to them with the command to fire, the planes were gone. Then they'd hear reports of the damage that had been done by those planes that they could have shot down BEFORE they had completed their missions.

It was only after he passed away (Veterans Day weekend '05) and grandma got a copy of his discharge papers that we learned he had only been in anti-aircraft a short while before transferring to a bridge carpentry unit and was awarded 4 bronze stars. He had always told my grandma that he had given all his military insignia and medals to his brothers when he returned home (she never saw him in his full uniform) before he went to see her. A few months after he passed away, grandma FINALLY went into his dresser drawer and opened the old cigar box he kept there (he had told her nearly 60 years ago when they were first married that that was HIS, and that she was not to bother it....and like a good wife, she kept out)....where she found his old medals and other stuff from his uniforms.

Unfortunately, when she went to the VFW to try getting some more information about what had happened for him to be awarded those medals, she was informed that the records were lost in a fire. Whatever it was, it is something he took with him to his grave.

Dammit. Now I'm pissed off all over again. I had a picture of the bronze plaque the VFW put at his grave and added it to the bottom of his old service picture, but it must have been on my old laptop that Best Buy shredded the hard drive on when they replaced it...the 4th time it was in their hands for repairs.....which STILL didn't fix a damn thing. Least they could have done would have been call me and say "we think this is what it'll need, you want us to back it up for you?" Guess next time I'm up in the Chicago area I'll have to visit the grave and get another pic, track down who has that old service picture to get another copy, and redo the whole thing....I don't mind visiting Grandpa's grave, just pissed I can't post that pic here now.

[mowerman]

oh,,that really sucks,rebel,,,...but thanks for sharing,,,b52,and welcome back..wish i could have gone,,what model is the first one,,i guess ww 1 those are my favorites,,they have a flying motorized model like that ,,for sale in reno,here,,would like to go find out what he wants for it..remote control..hobby shop...but you now,,its kind of back burner.....bob

[RowdyRebel]

oh,,that really sucks,rebel,,,...but thanks for sharing,,,b52,and welcome back..wish i could have gone,,what model is the first one,,i guess ww 1 those are my favorites,,they have a flying motorized model like that ,,for sale in reno,here,,would like to go find out what he wants for it..remote control..hobby shop...but you now,,its kind of back burner.....bob

Yup...it's why I won't ever set foot inside another Best Buy store, and encourage anyone and everyone I know to do the same. I don't care if they are handing out $100 bills to everyone that steps through their door, I ain't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing my ugly mug in their store.

[SAC B52]

oh,,that really sucks,rebel,,,...but thanks for sharing,,,b52,and welcome back..wish i could have gone,,what model is the first one,,i guess ww 1 those are my favorites,,they have a flying motorized model like that ,,for sale in reno,here,,would like to go find out what he wants for it..remote control..hobby shop...but you now,,its kind of back burner.....bob

Thanks Firemack,glad you got to go too! And RowdyRebel, great story about your grandpa. We had a good time, mowerman those were early Stearman PT-17 trainers. They were used by just about every U.S. pilot going through aviation cadet school back during WW2 and prior to WW2. They are very beautiful to look at.. to this day their lines are timeless. The Army colors were Blue and the Navy yellow.

RowdyRebel, your story reminds me of my granpa too. That generation for reasons only known to them, never said much about their service to our country.My grandpa spent 24 yrs as an Army infantry officer. He retired a Lt. Colonel right before Vietnam. He was commissioned as an officer in 1939 as a second leutenant the year my Pop was born. He spent the entire WW2 campaign in the south Pacific including New Guinea of which I heard him tell my Pop, how brutal the Jungle Terrain was there. He never spoke of the Combat. He was awarded the Bronze Star 3 times and once for Valor, which one ribbon holds the "v" device, Military guys would know what I mean. He wasn't wounded until he fought in Korea with the 5th Regimental Combat Team in August 1950. He lost a real close friend by the name of Capt. Timmons of who I heard him mention once when I was real little. He and Capt. Timmons were shipped out together out of Hawaii with the 24th Inf Div when the war broke out, and were then assigned to the 5th RCT for Combat duty during the breakout of the Pusan perimeter. Grandpa passed away Dec 7th 1982. We were celebrating my birthday when I was a kid, when the Army hospital called

[mowerman]

Yup...it's why I won't ever set foot inside another Best Buy store, and encourage anyone and everyone I know to do the same. I don't care if they are handing out $100 bills to everyone that steps through their door, I ain't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing my ugly mug in their store.

you know.we just bought new computer there a while ago,and didnt find out,they usually take your old info off the old one for free,if you buy it there,probably too late now...but i also have stuff stuck on the old one,salesman shoulda told me that,,so im a little pissy over that...bob

[mowerman]

Thanks Firemack,glad you got to go too! And RowdyRebel, great story about your grandpa. We had a good time, mowerman those were early Stearman PT-17 trainers. They were used by just about every U.S. pilot going through aviation cadet school back during WW2 and prior to WW2. They are very beautiful to look at.. to this day their lines are timeless. The Army colors were Blue and the Navy yellow.

RowdyRebel, your story reminds me of my granpa too. That generation for reasons only known to them, never said much about their service to our country.My grandpa spent 24 yrs as an Army infantry officer. He retired a Lt. Colonel right before Vietnam. He was commissioned as an officer in 1939 as a second leutenant the year my Pop was born. He spent the entire WW2 campaign in the south Pacific including New Guinea of which I heard him tell my Pop, how brutal the Jungle Terrain was there. He never spoke of the Combat. He was awarded the Bronze Star 3 times and once for Valor, which one ribbon holds the "v" device, Military guys would know what I mean. He wasn't wounded until he fought in Korea with the 5th Regimental Combat Team in August 1950. He lost a real close friend by the name of Capt. Timmons of who I heard him mention once when I was real little. He and Capt. Timmons were shipped out together out of Hawaii with the 24th Inf Div when the war broke out, and were then assigned to the 5th RCT for Combat duty during the breakout of the Pusan perimeter. Grandpa passed away Dec 7th 1982. We were celebrating my birthday when I was a kid, when the Army hospital called

wow,,you must be awfully proud of him,,,,ya my pop was in WW2.decorated ive got all his stuff,lucky pictures,metals..but he was same way,,didnt bring it up much,,dont have uniform,,dont know were it is...appreciate the info.man..thanks bob

[SAC B52]

wow,,you must be awfully proud of him,,,,ya my pop was in WW2.decorated ive got all his stuff,lucky pictures,metals..but he was same way,,didnt bring it up much,,dont have uniform,,dont know were it is...appreciate the info.man..thanks bob

Sure am mowerman! here's a photo of him in Combat calling in fire on a hill in Korea. I added the caption from the book he was in "This way to War". Also here is a picture of my Uncle Eugene,third from the left bottom row, my grandfathers brother with his B-24J Liberator crew prior to a mission over Germany Winter 1944. He was assigned to the 392nd Bomb Group out of Wendling, England. Eugene was the Flight Engineer/Top turret Gunner. He's very sick and lives in Passaic N.J. The other brother Robert was wounded as a Paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Div.He passed away very young in the early 1960's All three brothers made it home Thank God! I'm proud to be named after my grandpa, I've never dishonored that name! I wish he had a chance to see my brother and I serve.

[mowerman]

wow,,,rite on man...too cool,those old shots are always a pleasure..bob

[randyp]

Outstanding pics and stories gentleman! I got a bunch from Iraq my son sent home, will try to load a few on here sometime. heh heh,,Keep this quiet, but also got a big rug from one of saddams palaces and a darth vader looking special republican guard helmet, previous iraqi owner lost his head over it, my son said he washed it out good in euphrates river though. randyp

[41chevy]

Good to see people appreciating the sacrifices instead of playing. My pop was in the 3rd ID from Libya to Bergesgarten. Never talked much either. After he died last year ,I found his medals and a certificate from Israel, seems his unit liberated Dachu at the end of the war. We lost and uncle on the Oklahoma at pearl, an other at Polesti in a B-24 and another crossing the Elbe River. Pop opened up a litle when I came home from nam in 1972 but not alot. They wereand always will be my heros. Paul

[mowerman]

Good to see people appreciating the sacrifices instead of playing. My pop was in the 3rd ID from Libya to Bergesgarten. Never talked much either. After he died last year ,I found his medals and a certificate from Israel, seems his unit liberated Dachu at the end of the war. We lost and uncle on the Oklahoma at pearl, an other at Polesti in a B-24 and another crossing the Elbe River. Pop opened up a litle when I came home from nam in 1972 but not alot. They wereand always will be my heros. Paul

ya,,,man rite there with ya..i also lost an uncle WW2,and one in a truck accident,,the remaining 4,were all in trucks,thier all gone now,,but last of the real hero,s,,and the real men...they were all deceased,before AC,and PS,were populer...lol...bob

[HeavyGunner]

Cool pics and stories. I would love to see all those vintage planes. Got to walk through a C5 Galaxy years ago when I was kid and thought that was the neatest thing ever walking through that plane. Might have to try and take a trip to see some of the big air shows and check out all the cool planes.